Calculation difficulties in children of very low birthweight: a neural correlate
E B Isaacs1, C J Edmonds, A Lucas
1MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre and Radiology and Physics Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street,London WC1N 1EH, UK. E.Isaacs@ich.ucl.ac.uk
Insights
Preterm birth survivors with normal neurology may have learning difficulties. A brain scan revealed less grey matter in the left parietal lobe for adolescents with calculation deficits, identifying a key brain area for numeracy skills.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Learning difficulties, particularly in numeracy, are prevalent in Western societies.
- Many children experiencing learning difficulties are born preterm.
- A subset of preterm survivors are neurologically normal, offering a unique cohort to study the neural underpinnings of learning challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between brain structure and arithmetic calculation ability.
- To identify specific neural correlates of calculation deficits in adolescents born preterm.
- To examine individuals with learning difficulties who are otherwise neurologically healthy.
Main Methods:
- Neuroimaging study involving adolescent children born preterm (≤30 weeks gestation).
- Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was employed to analyze brain structure.
- Comparison of grey matter volume between individuals with and without calculation deficits.
Main Results:
- A significant difference in grey matter volume was observed in the left parietal lobe.
- Adolescents with calculation deficits exhibited less grey matter in this specific region compared to their peers without deficits.
- This finding establishes a structural neural correlate associated with calculation ability.
Conclusions:
- The left parietal lobe plays a crucial role in arithmetic calculation ability.
- Structural differences in this brain region may contribute to learning difficulties in numeracy among preterm survivors.
- This study provides novel insights into the neuroanatomy of mathematical learning in a neurologically typical preterm population.
Abstract:
Learning difficulties, including problems with numeracy, are common in Western populations. Many children with learning difficulty are survivors of preterm birth. Although some of these children have neurological disabilities, many are neurologically normal, and the latter group provides us with an important opportunity to investigate the neural bases of learning problems. We have conducted a neuroimaging study of adolescent children who had been born preterm at 30 weeks gestation or less, to investigate the relationship between brain structure and a specific difficulty in arithmetic calculation. Using voxel-based morphometry, we have been able to demonstrate that there is an area in the left parietal lobe where children without a deficit in calculation ability have more grey matter than those who do have this deficit. To our knowledge, this is the first report establishing a structural neural correlate of calculation ability in a group of neurologically normal individuals.
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